Incompetency Exposed: 12 Insecticide Sprayer Jobs Left Unfilled as Dengue Outbreak Worsens

The current outbreak of dengue fever is causing concern, with some regions of the island being fumigated, particularly those most affected. However, according to union representative Radhakrishna Sadien, twelve positions for Insecticide Sprayer Operators have not been filled. As a result, employees from other departments are being called in to assist with the fumigation operations.

Sadien is expressing his frustration over this situation. He criticizes the lack of lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic. “The recruitment of twelve Insecticide Sprayer Operators has been delayed, forcing the Ministry of Health to request assistance from sprayers from the Ministry of Agro-Industry,” says Radhakrishna Sadien.

According to the union representative, this situation persists despite the Government Services Employees Association’s request to recruit more staff. “The Ministry has decided to suspend recruitment pending a modification of the Scheme of Service, further exacerbating the situation. With the dengue epidemic, we are essentially firefighting,” our source indicates. Radhakrishna Sadien advocates for immediate actions to recruit more staff.

He also calls for reinforcements at the airport and port, among other areas. “We have seen what happened during Covid-19. We need more staff to avoid facing difficult situations. It is important to note that Mauritius heavily relies on tourism.”

On Monday 12th February, the union representative will send a letter to the Ministry of Health addressing this issue. He also plans to discuss the shortage of staff in various Health Department.

While acknowledging the government’s significant investment in building hospitals, etc., Sadien highlights that these projects have not been accompanied by the recruitment of sufficient human resources. This, he argues, has had a detrimental impact on service delivery and personnel.

Source: Defi Media